Rise of the regional citizen journalist

If you had told me two years ago members of the public would help document a natural disaster in the Wide Bay region, I would have given you a look of disbelief.

But that's what has just happened.

Two years ago I went to workshops with members of the community who swore they would never use Facebook. The word "blog" was a mystery to them. Uploading a photo was a trial met with a pained expression and silent curses.

Many of these same people recently assisted the ABC by sharing vital information online as catastrophic floods and tornadoes hit our region.

We have come a long way.

How did these regional citizen journalists help?

By sharing what was happening where they were. They were our online eyewitnesses; sharing what they were seeing using photos and video. Conditions of roads and rain gauge levels were communicated via emails and social media sites. They made us aware of issues they faced (and are still facing) with blogs and online journals.

Another way many of our regional and often cut off communities utilised social media during the disaster was through Facebook groups.

Most of the people taking part in these groups seemed to be familiar with each other and assisted one another by sharing which roads were open and closed, who needed help with food or medical supplies, school closures and condition of roads. These groups almost became an online town center for these hard to reach spots.

Two years ago this sort of online communication would never had happened.

Amazing.

ABC Open contributors played a major role in the information our ABC Wide Bay office would broadcast. After regular contact with the ABC through ABC Open, the on air and online teams reporting on the unfolding emergencies knew they could rely on what our contributors shared with us.

ABC Open had helped form a relationship and turn these contacts into reliable sources.

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Comments

Solua Middleton

The power a group of people can have to tell one story can be amazing.

Christine Turner

Hats off to ABC Open and your perseverance in familiarising us with Facebook and other social medias. You assist us all - young and old. Good job paying off now!

Michael Bromage

I helped coordinate ABC's social media information during the impending late night flooding of the crucial thoroughfare at the Yeppen roundabout in Rockhampton. It was amazing to see how the information flowed between the community on the ground, the national broadcaster distributing information to the broader audience and official government organisation's advice and recommendations. Everyone bonded together to quickly and accurately share and confirm information as the flood waters rose.